"Once you finish your Sage training, you should let Lady Tsunade check your eyes," Naruto said, noticing Hinata rubbing them again. "When it comes to medical ninjutsu, no one's more skilled than her."
"Alright." Hinata nodded obediently, her voice soft as ever.
Naruto smiled, gently ruffling her hair before turning to chase after Sasuke and Jiraiya, who had already left. The two of them had no intention of watching another round of "dog food."
Inside the Hokage's office, silence hung heavy. The two elder advisors who had attended the ceremony were gone, and as for Danzo inviting him to a Hokage succession ceremony that wasn't his own would have been worse than killing him outright. Only Tsunade and the Third Hokage remained.
By the time Jiraiya arrived with Naruto and Sasuke, the atmosphere was tense. All eyes turned toward Hiruzen Sarutobi. The old Hokage took a slow breath, setting aside his pipe before speaking in a grave tone.
"What I'm about to tell you is classified at the highest level. It's never been written down, and it never will be."
The room fell silent. Everyone straightened, their faces turning serious.
Naruto formed a quick seal with his fingers. "Wind Barrier."
A faint current of air expanded outward, wrapping the room in a soundproof veil. Not a whisper could escape.
"This concerns the true story behind the annihilation of the Uchiha Clan."
The moment Hiruzen said those words, Sasuke's body stiffened. His Mangekyō Sharingan flared to life, eyes locking on the old Hokage.
"What do you mean by that?" Sasuke demanded, his voice shaking with anger. "Are you saying there was more to what happened to my clan?"
Hiruzen's brows lifted slightly. He hadn't expected Sasuke to awaken such powerful eyes at his age. Jiraiya and Tsunade exchanged glances they had already seen them before, so neither was surprised.
"When did you awaken those eyes?" Hiruzen asked quietly.
"The night the Nine-Tails' chakra went berserk inside Naruto," Sasuke replied.
"I see," the old Hokage murmured. His eyes flickered toward Naruto. So their bond truly runs deep.
He turned his gaze to everyone in the room. "To understand what happened to the Uchiha, we must start from the beginning back when the Leaf Village was founded."
"The Hidden Leaf was built by the Senju Clan, led by Hashirama Senju, and the Uchiha Clan, led by Madara Uchiha. Alongside them were many other clans Sarutobi, Hyuga, Nara, and countless others united under one dream."
"But later, disagreements arose between Hashirama and Madara. Madara left the village, and in the end, the two fought for three days and nights. Madara lost and was believed to have died."
"When my teacher, Tobirama Senju, became the Second Hokage, he entrusted the entire police force of the village to the Uchiha Clan. It was a sign of great trust handing over the peace and security of the Leaf to them."
"At first, the Uchiha accepted their new role proudly. But over time, resentment began to grow. They felt isolated, believing that giving them only the police force was a way of limiting their power."
"As the years passed, the divide deepened. The Uchiha became increasingly dissatisfied, believing that since they were among the founders of the village, they deserved a place in the leadership perhaps even the title of Hokage itself."
"The tension reached its breaking point after the Nine-Tails' attack. Some in the higher ranks suspected the Uchiha had been involved."
"That's impossible!" Sasuke snapped.
Hiruzen sighed. "That night, every ninja who fought saw the Sharingan in the Nine-Tails' eyes. It was undeniable proof. And this wasn't without precedent Madara Uchiha once controlled the Nine-Tails himself."
Sasuke fell silent. The Sharingan could indeed control the Tailed Beasts. That much was true.
"I investigated personally," Hiruzen continued. "But even though there was no evidence, suspicion lingered. For safety's sake, the council ordered the Uchiha to relocate to the outskirts of the village. That act of mistrust deepened their resentment even further. Some radicals within the clan began planning a coup to seize control of the Leaf."
Naruto frowned. "A coup d'état? Seriously?"
Sasuke's eyes darkened. He remembered it now the heavy atmosphere in the clan, the endless meetings, his father's constant silence. So that was why. They had been planning a revolt.
Tsunade's and Jiraiya's expressions turned grim. Even they hadn't known the full truth.
Hiruzen exhaled heavily. "Danzo and his secret Root organization discovered the plan first. He believed that if the Uchiha acted, the village would fall into civil war and the entire ninja world would be thrown into chaos."
"Danzo insisted on eliminating the threat entirely. I opposed him. I wanted peace, a way to reconcile without bloodshed."
"But time was running out. The hatred between the Uchiha and the village had been festering for years. It wasn't something that could be resolved overnight."
Sasuke's voice trembled with fury. "So you decided to kill them all?!"
His Mangekyō spun wildly, his chakra flaring.
Naruto clenched his fists. "Wait, Grandpa Hokage why didn't you stop it?"
Hiruzen closed his eyes for a long moment before answering. "I tried. I truly did. But not everyone in the Uchiha wanted war. Some saw beyond their clan's pride."
He opened his eyes, voice heavy with sorrow. "Two such men were Shisui Uchiha and Itachi Uchiha."
"Shisui… and my brother?" Sasuke froze.
"Yes," Hiruzen said softly. "Both were exceptionally gifted, and both understood the true meaning of peace. They tried to bridge the gap between the village and the clan to stop the conflict before it began."
"But then, Shisui died. No one knows exactly how. The village gave no answer, and the Uchiha believed the council or even Itachi was responsible. The last hope for peace crumbled."
"After that, Danzo and the others made their final move. They insisted on striking first, before the Uchiha could revolt. I still believed in a peaceful solution, but before I could act, Itachi made his choice."
Hiruzen's voice trembled. "He carried out the massacre himself. He killed every member of his clan, including his parents… but he could not bring himself to kill you, Sasuke."
The air in the room grew heavy. Sasuke's breath came in sharp bursts, his eyes trembling.
Hiruzen's gaze softened. "He took the burden upon himself accepted the hatred, the shame, the life of a criminal to prevent the village from tearing itself apart. To protect you. To protect the Uchiha's honor."
Tears burned at the edges of Sasuke's eyes as he whispered, "Brother…"
And in that moment, the truth that had been buried in darkness for years finally came to light cold, bitter, and heavy with sorrow.
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